Chapter IV: Part 4

Immigration to Costa Rica has been small. During the first half of 1897 there entered 1533 individuals by Port Limon and 389 by the Port of Puntarenas; but during the same time 1150 persons left Costa Rica through Port Limon and 344 through Puntarenas. The result is a gain of only 428 persons in favor of the country. In 1896, the excess of registered immigrants over emigrants was 1112 persons, there having entered 3980 and departed 2868 persons. Several times attempts have unsuccessfully been made by foreigners to establish colonies.

Still there is a colony in the Department of Guanacaste, called “Colonia de Nicoya,” which was commenced by Cubans, headed by Maceo, the late Cuban revolutionist chief. This colony possesses a sugar factory and five trapiches, producing 720 quintals of sugar and about 3000 quintals of mascabado. Only five colonists still cultivate tobacco. The colony has a school for boys and another for girls, the latter attended by thirty and the other by forty pupils. Besides there is here postal service and a telegraph office.

A second colony located in the San Carlos district is known as “Colonia de Aguas Zarcas,” and has 500 lots, but it does not progress for lack of roads and markets easy to reach.

A third colony was established in Santa Clara, on a branch of the Atlantic Railroad. But there are actually there only eight families with about seventy hectares of cultivated land, one trapiche and a saw-mill.

Another colony was started by the River Plate Trust, Loan and Agency Company, Limited, in Turialba, near the railroad between Limon and San José. There were 500 acres sold for 15 pesos each, 2071.9 acres for 20 pesos each, 750 acres for 25 pesos each, and 1381.1 acres for 30 pesos each, the land being situated on the Tuis River and Cabeza de Buey. Besides a contract was made with W. C. Beal from Portland, Oregon, U. S. A., for the sale of 14,000 acres on condition of procuring each year for seven years the settlement of a number of families to cultivate these lands. In order to give easy access to the markets, a cart-road is in process of construction, which will connect the colony with the nearest railroad station.

The Government of Costa Rica is now preparing new laws in regard to immigration, colonization and sale of national lands. The former laws have been suspended, the Government being convinced that the lands appropriated in former years are more than sufficient to respond to the requirements of the next twenty years. The Government also thinks it to be preferable to promote by restrictive laws the subdivision of these lands and their cultivation than to consent to new grants under the former statutes. Exceptions are to be made for colonization companies and enterprises adapted to the economic development of the country.

In former years the Government of Costa Rica has often offered inducements in the way of land-grants for European immigration. In 1849 a grant of land of twenty leagues in length by twelve in breadth was made to a French company for 1000 colonists. The conditions of the contract were not carried out, though a considerable number of immigrants formed under it an establishment. A similar grant was made on the Atlantic coast to a British company, which had no result.

Still another concession was made, May 7, 1852, to a German company organized at Berlin with Baron von Bülow as Director. This enterprise died with its manager in 1856.

A further attempt was made in 1852, by Crisanto Medina, to whom a large grant of land was made for colonization purposes at Miravalles, about 2500 feet above the sea, but this project too was abandoned after settling about thirty-seven Germans on the grant. In 1856, some French immigrants came, and in 1858 another colonization law was passed, and ever since the Government has persisted in the policy of augmenting the population by offering inducements to foreigners to settle in Costa Rica. All these Government proffers have, however, proved ineffectual.

VIII.

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

Elementary instruction of both sexes is compulsory and at the expense of the Government.

The following data are obtained from the Minister of Public Instruction, Licentiate Ricardo Pacheco. In 1896 Costa Rica had 327 primary schools with 21,913 enrolled pupils, or 53 per cent. of all the children of school age, as can be seen in the following table:

(Part 1 of 2)
-----------+-----------------+-----------------------+
| NUMBER OF | NUMBER OF PUPILS. |
| OFFICIAL SCHOOLS| |
+----+----+---+---+-------+-------+-------+
| | G | M | T | | G | T |
| B | i | i | o | B | i | o |
| o | r | x | t | o | r | t |
| y | l | e | a | y | l | a |
| s | s | d | l | s | s | l |
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
-----------+----+----+---+---+-------+-------+-------+
San José | 43| 43| 6| 92| 3,766| 3,766| 7,118|
Alajuela | 46| 45| 16|107| 3,028| 2,862| 5,890|
Cartago | 25| 24| 1| 50| 1,817| 1,475| 3,292|
Heredia | 20| 20| 7| 47| 2,132| 1,728| 3,880|
Guanacaste | 11| 9| 1| 21| 649| 513| 1,162|
Puntarenas | 5| 4| --| 9| 297| 199| 496|
Limon | --| --| 1| 1| 30| 45| 75|
-----------+----+----+---+---+-------+-------+-------+
| 150| 145| 32|327| 11,719| 10,194| 21,913|
-----------+----+----+---+---+-------+-------+-------+

(Part 2 of 2)
-----------+-------------------------------------
| NUMBER OF PUPILS.
|
+-------+--------+---------+----------
| | | |
| | | | For each
| Per | Per | Per 100 | 100
|school.|teacher.| Inhab- | children
| | | itants. | of school
| | | | age.
-----------+-------+--------+---------+----------
San José | 78.45 | 28.81 | 9.27 | 54.57
Alajuela | 55.04 | 32.36 | 10.29 | 60.57
Cartago | 65.84 | 24.75 | 8.66 | 51.07
Heredia | 82.56 | 26.76 | 12.27 | 72.19
Guanacaste | 55.33 | 21.92 | 5.79 | 34.09
Puntarenas | 55.11 | 22.59 | 4.07 | 23.98
Limon | 75.00 | 37.50 | 1.00 | 58.96
-----------+-------+--------+---------+----------
| 67.01 | 27.94 | 9.01 | 53.
-----------+-------+--------+---------+----------

This great number shows a marked predisposition of the people in favor of education. It is also a fact that Costa Rica holds the first place of all Latin American nations in regard to public instruction.

The number of school buildings is 215, besides 29 in process of construction and 50 projected. These 215 buildings are the property of the “Juntas de Educacion.” Besides these, 107 buildings are rented and 6 loaned. There are

92 schools in 48 different localities in the Department of San José.
107 ” 67 ” ” ” Alajuela.
50 ” 27 ” ” ” Cartago.
47 ” 29 ” ” ” Heredia.
21 ” 22 ” ” ” Guanacaste.
9 ” 8 ” ” ” Puntarenas.
1 ” 1 ” ” ” Limon.
--- --
327 schools in 202 different localities.

Costa Rica has more teachers than soldiers. The number of the former reaches the figure of 784, of whom 337 are men and 447 women, distributed in the following way:

----------+-----+-------+-------+--------+-------------
| | | | Costa | Yearly
| Men.| Women.| Total.| Ricans.| Salaries in
| | | | | Pesos.
----------+-----+-------+-------+--------+-------------
San José | 98 | 149 | 247 | 221 | 128,540
Alajuela | 80 | 102 | 182 | 167 | 79,920
Cartago | 59 | 74 | 133 | 126 | 58,020
Heredia | 63 | 82 | 145 | 137 | 61,260
Guanacaste| 30 | 23 | 53 | 45 | 25,680
Puntarenas| 7 | 15 | 22 | 13 | 11,700
Limon | -- | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2,100
----------+-----+-------+-------+--------+------------
| 337 | 447 | 784 | 711 | 367,020
----------+-----+-------+-------+--------+------------

Among the foreign teachers are:

38 Spaniards,
12 Colombians,
9 Nicaraguans,
2 Guatemalans,
2 Salvadorans,
2 Germans,
1 Honduran,
1 Mexican,
1 Venezuelan,
1 Frenchman,
1 Englishman,
1 Italian.

The average monthly salary is 45 pesos.

There are over 250 “Juntas de Educacion” in the different Departments, Cantones and Districts.

The National Government aided them with 95,587.59 pesos, in the following manner:

16,572.99 pesos to the Juntas of the Department of San José.
14,686.10 ” ” ” ” Alajuela.
2,100.00 ” ” ” ” Cartago.
31,768.50 ” ” ” ” Heredia.
30,100.00 ” ” ” ” Guanacaste.
360.00 ” ” ” ” Puntarenas.

To aid these Juntas a special school-loan has been made; besides the taxes on slaughtering are turned over to them.

Higher education is given in the Liceo de Costa Rica, with 206 enrolled students, and in the Colegio Superior de Señoritas, with 223 students, both in San José; also in the provincial Institutes of Cartago, Alajuela and Heredia.

There is in addition a school for medicine and pharmacy in San José with seventeen students, and a law-school dependent on the “college of lawyers.”

For other higher studies the Government pays the expenses of ten Costa Ricans in European universities and high schools. Further, the Government of Chile allows six Costa Ricans to study at its expense in the pedagogical Institute of Santiago.

Another very important national institution is the “Instituto fisico-geográfico,” under the direction of the very competent Professor H. Pittier, with three sections; a geographical section for topographical study and a construction of maps, also a meteorological and a botanical section. Their excellent publications have proved the great usefulness of this institution, and it is to be wished that its able and learned director will get adequate aid to carry out his promising studies of the physical features of Costa Rica.

Another useful institution is the “National Museum,” under the intelligent direction of a young Costa Rican scientist. Mr. Anastasio Alfaro. It has an interesting section of archæology and ethnography, and a section of zoology, already rich in cabinets, to which is attached a small zoological garden.

A third useful institution is the “National Library” with 10,242 catalogued books and about 5,000 more ready to be registered and incorporated.

The first steps towards the organization of educational institutions were taken in 1824, under the administration of Don Juan Mora Fernandez. Then public instruction was declared an obligatory duty of the State. The institution, which afterward became the University of Santo Tomas, was founded in 1844, at the instigation of Dr. Castilo. The efforts of Costa Rica to advance education have been great and sustained, and it is to be remarked that those in office have constantly shown laudable interest in the matter. In 1869 the Normal School was opened and a system adopted in harmony with modern standards.

As related to the subject of public education, the following list enumerates the names of the principal daily and weekly papers, periodicals and annual publications:

The principal _newspapers_ are:

_Dailies:_

La Gaceta oficial,
Diario de Costa Rica,
La República,
El Heraldo,
El Fígaro,
La Prensa libre,
El Diarito,
El Imparcial,
El Pabellon Liberal,
La Union Católica.

_Weekly publications_ are:

La Abeja médica,
Boletin de las Escuelas Primarias,
La Gaceta médica,
El Latiguillo,
El Sancho Panzo,
El Bocaccio,
La Voz del Pueblo.

_Annual publications_ are:

Anales del Museo Nacional,
Anales del Instituto fisico-geográfico,
Anuario estadístico,
Anuario de la Inspeccion general de enseñanza,
Memorias de los Ministerios.

IX.

TRANSPORTATION, POST AND TELEGRAPH.

_Port Limon_ on the Atlantic and _Puntarenas_ on the Pacific Ocean are first in importance among the means of communication of Costa Rica.

In 1894 there entered the Port of Limon 294 vessels (271 steamers, 20 barks and 3 goletas), with a tonnage of 348,355 tons. Of these, 16 vessels bore the national flag, 142 the English, 12 the French, 26 the German, 27 the Swedish-Norwegian, 47 that of the United States, 11 the Nicaraguan, and 3 the Colombian flag.

During the same year there entered the Port of Puntarenas 158 vessels (125 steamers, 24 barks, 5 paileboats 4 launches), having a tonnage of 155,869 tons. Of these, 14 carried the national flag, 34 the English, 1 the Italian, 23 the German, 3 the Swedish-Norwegian, 4 the Danish, 74 that of the United States, and 5 the Colombian flag.

In 1895 there entered the Port of Limon 311 vessels, with a tonnage of 281,361, while in the Port of Puntarenas there entered 147 vessels, with a tonnage of 146,313.

In 1896 there entered the Port of Limon 258 steamers and 41 sailing vessels, while 152 vessels entered Puntarenas, of which 73 were steamers of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, 28 steamers of an English cattle transporting company, 8 German steamers of the Cosmos and Kirsten lines, 9 Colombian paileboats, 16 German barks, 11 Norwegian barks, 3 English barks, 2 Italian barks, and 1 French bark.

The agents of the different steamship lines in the capital, San José, are, for the Port of _Limon_: Mr. Juan Knöhr for the Hamburg American Steamship Company; Mr. John M. Keith for the Atlas Line; Mr. I. R. Sasso for the Italian Line, La Veloce; Messrs. Lyon & Co. for the Royal Mail Line; Messrs. W. J. Field & Co. for the Prince Line; Mr. Minor C. Keith for the Spanish Transatlantic Line; Messrs. Alvarado & Co. for the French Transatlantic Line; Mr. Minor C. Keith for the New Orleans lines; while Messrs. Rohrmoser & Co. are the agents for the Port of Puntarenas of the Hamburg Pacific Steamship Company, the Kosmos Line and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.

There are two important railroads, the Atlantic and the Pacific Railroads. The Atlantic Railroad goes from the Port of Limon westerly to Alajuela, a distance of 190 kilometers. The stations on the line are Limon, Moin, S. Mouth, Matina, Siquirres, La Junta, Pascua, Torito, Turialba, Las Pavas, Tucurique, Juan Viñas, Santiago, Paraiso, Cartago, Tres Rios, Curridabat, San Pedro, San José, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Heredia, San Joaquin, Rio Segundo, Alajuela.

A branch of this road starts from La Junta, a point about thirty-four kilometers west of Port Limon, and runs first northward and then westward until it reaches Guapiles, a recently founded colony on the plains of Santa Clara. It was originally intended to lay the track to Carrillo and through the La Palma Pass to San José, but this plan has not been carried out.

Another branch goes from Port Limon to the Banana River, a distance of about five kilometers.

The gross earnings of this road were:

In 1891-1892 1,409,598 pesos.
” 1892-1893 1,973,936 ”
” 1893-1894 2,250,979 ”
” 1894-1895 2,446,701 ”
” Second half of 1895 892,932 ”
” 1896 2,618,113 ”

The net earnings were as follows:

In 1891-1892 362,066 pesos.
” 1892-1893 697,479 ”
” 1893-1894 674,452 ”
” 1894-1895 1,030,160 ”
” Second half of 1895 677,986 ”
” 1896 1,114,290 ”

It moved during the fiscal year of 1896:

574,723 passengers.
10,315 tons of goods for export.
23,245 ” imported goods.
34,558 ” local freight.
52,335 tons or 1,570,060 bunches of bananas.
3,801 animals.

This road has a number of good station-buildings, and a pier at Port Limon with all facilities for the quick handling of freight, especially of bananas. The freight rates are relatively very high.

The Pacific Railroad, about fourteen miles (or twenty-two kilometers) in length, belongs to the Government, and runs from Puntarenas east to Esparta, about seven hundred feet above the sea. It received in 1896, 18,486.60 pesos from freights and 19,392.80 pesos from passengers.

During the same time the Government expended 24,288.31 pesos in improvements.

Another railroad, on Government account, is under construction to connect San José with the Pacific coast, and a million pesos are annually set aside for the work. It is to be about ninety kilometers long and to run most of the way through the valley of the Rio Grande. The western end for about twenty-four kilometers will cross a roughly broken country in order to reach the roadstead of Tívives.

An important line of railway is projected to run from Jimenez, on the Guapiles branch of the Costa Rica Railway, fifty-six miles from Port Limon, to the mouth of the Rio Frio, near its entrance into the Lake of Nicaragua.

It is to cross the River San Carlos near El Muelle, from which point it is proposed to extend the line through a low pass of the Miravalles mountains, about two thousand feet above sea-level, to Culebra Bay on the Pacific. Such a railway would contribute enormously to the development of northern Costa Rica. The region traversed by the line is highly fertile. A connection of the Costa Rica Railway with Lake Nicaragua would also give to the State of Nicaragua a much needed convenient access to the Atlantic Ocean for nearly its entire trade.

Another important project President Iglesias contemplates. It is a ship-canal along the coast line from Matina to the Colorado River, and even on to the mouth of the San Juan, a total distance of over sixty-five miles. This coast consists of a continuous narrow sand bank between which and the mainland there is an inlet or arm of the sea, said to be navigable now for the whole distance.

This ship-canal would open an extensive banana region as well as excellent lands for the cultivation of cacao and rubber trees and many other tropical plants.

With respect to other internal communications, there exists a fairly good cart-road, opened about sixty years ago, from Cartago _via_ San José to Puntarenas. Over this road nearly all export and import traffic was done until the Atlantic Railroad was opened in 1891.

Another cart-road runs across Guanacaste to Nicaragua. Besides these roads there is a small number of shorter and more local roads, not counting a well-paved one, about twenty-five miles long, now partly abandoned. It goes through the La Palma Pass towards Carrillo, Santa Clara and the Atlantic coast.

There is a tramway in Cartago, connecting the city with its suburbs and Aguacaliente. In San José a trolley line is soon to be established. Away from the conveniences now enumerated the people are wont to ride on horse or mule trails. The Government, however, takes care to increase and improve the cart-roads and other means of communications. During the last fiscal year over one hundred and ninety-four thousand pesos were spent on roads and bridges, and there is no doubt that Costa Rica, in this respect, too, is far ahead of the other Central American countries. Most of the Government expenditure named was spent on the national cart-road, the roads to San Carlos, Puriscal, Tablazo and Sarapiqui and on bridges over the Rio Grande, Reventazon, Bagaces, etc. In each district there is a “_Junta Itineraria_” for the conservation and improvement of roads, every proprietor participating in proportion to his property.

The following itinerary of roads and water routes, their distances and character, is reproduced from Mr. Richard Villafranca’s “Costa Rica:”

Distances from San José, the capital of Costa Rica.

-------------------------+----------+--------------------
| Distance |
Towns. | in miles.| Character.
-------------------------+----------+--------------------
Alajuela | 13 | Rail, cart road.
Atenas | 24 | Cart road.
Aguacaliente | 15 | Tramway, cart road.
Aserri | 6 | Cart road.
Alajuelita | 3 | ”
| |
Boca de Toro | 160 | Navigation from Limon.
Bustamante | 21 | Saddle road.
Boruca | 120 | ”
Buenos Aires | 120 | ”
Buena Vista | 48 | Cart road.
Boca de San Carlos | 123 | Navigation.
Boca del Rio Frio | 132 | ”
Bebedero | 132 | ”
Baguces | 147 | Cart road.
Belen | 183 | ”
| |
Chile | 18 | ”
Candelarita | 30 | Saddle road.
Curridabat | 3 | Railroad, cart road.
Carrillo | 25½ | Cart road.
Cartago | 12 | Railroad, cart road.
Cangrejal | 123 | Cart road.
Chirripo | 42 | Saddle road.
Cot | 18 | Cart road.
Carrizal | 12 | ”
Chilamate | 60 | Saddle road.
| |
Desamparados | 3 | Cart road.
| |
Escasú | 4½ | ”
Estero Grande | 78 | Navigation.
Esparta | 47 | Cart road.
| |
Filadelfia | 177 | ”
| |
Grecia | 24 | ”
Guatuzo | 25½ | ”
Guaitil | 18 | Saddle road.
Guadalupe | 3 | Cart road.
| |
Heredia | 6 | Railroad, cart road.
Hacienda Vieja | 72 | Navigation.
| |
Juan Viñas | 27 | Railroad, cart road.
| |
La Vibora | 27 | Saddle road.
La Palma | 12 | Cart road.
La Laguna | 15 | Cart road.
La Boca del Infierno | 18 | ”
Limon | 98 | Railroad.
Los Frailes | 18 | Saddle road.
Las Cruces | 18 | ”
La Laguna de Aserri | 10½ | ”
La Virgen | 54 | ”
Los Ojos de Agua | 18 | Cart road.
Los Angeles | 27 | ”
La Barranca | 25½ | ”
La Cuesta Vieja | 54 | ”
Las Cañas | 139 | ”
Liberia | 165 | ”
La Cruz | 201 | Saddle road.
| |
Muelle de San Carlos | 69 | ”
Muelle de Sarapiqui | 66 | ”
| |
Nueva Santa Maria | 60 | ”
Naranjo | 33 | Cart road.
Nicoya | 213 | ”
| |
Orosi | 18 | ”
| |
Palmira | 180 | ”
Puntarenas | 60 | Railroad, cart road.
Peje | 60 | Cart road.
Paraiso | 16½ | Railroad, cart road.
Pirris de Aserri | 30 | Saddle road.
Paquita | 75 | ”
Pacaca | 14 | Cart road.
| |
Rosario | 12 | Saddle road.
| |
Santa Rosa | 220 | Cart road.
Santa Cruz | 198 | ”
Santo Domingo | 39 | ”
San Mateo | 36 | ”
Salimos | 42 | ”
Sarchi | 30 | ”
Sapotal | 27 | Saddle road.
Santiago de Puriscal | 24 | Cart road.
Sarcero | 40½ | ”
San Jerónimo | 30 | ”
San Roque | 27 | ”
San Rafael | 19½ | ”
Sabanilla | 18 | ”
San Pedro de la Calabaza | 18 | ”
San Ramon | 51 | Saddle road.
San Miguel | 42 | ”
San Joaquin | 9 | Railroad, cart road.
Santo Domingo | 3½ | ”
San Cristobal | 24 | Cart road.
San Miguel | 27 | Saddle road.
Sabanilla de Aserri | 24 | Saddle road.
San Ignacio | 12 | ”
Santa Maria | 36 | Cart road.
San Marcos | 30 | ”
San Pablo Dota | 27 | ”
San Cristobal | 12 | ”
San Miguel | 4¼ | ”
San Jerónimo | 7½ | ”
San Isidro | 6 | ”
San Vicente | 3 | ”
San Pablo | 30 | Saddle road.
Santa Ana | 7½ | Cart road.
| |
Tres Rios | 7 | Railroad, cart road.
Tabarcia | 9 | Cart road.
Tucurrique | 36 | ”
Turialba | 33 | Railroad, cart road.
Tambor | 15 | Cart road.
Tapezco | 43½ | ”
Tempate | 213 | ”
| |
26 de Abril | 209 | ”
| |
Villa Santa Barbara | 12 | ”
Villa Barba | 9 | ”
Varablanca | 30 | ”
| |
Zapote | 45 | ”
-------------------------+----------+---------------------

The _postal service_ is performed by seventy local post-offices. Correspondence is dispatched twenty-six times per month to foreign countries by steamers, and four times per month overland to the neighboring countries. From the port of Limon the mail goes to Europe, _via_ Hamburg, twice a month, the 12th and 29th; by the Royal Mail on the 9th day of each month; and _via_ Marseilles on the 12th of each month; to Europe and the United States _via_ New York every Friday, and to Europe, the United States and Mexico _via_ New Orleans every Monday.

From the Port of Puntarenas the mail goes to the West Indies and South America, _via_ Panamá, three times a month, and as often also to the States of Central America. Overland to Nicaragua the mail is sent, _via_ Liberia, every Thursday. In the Gulf of Nicoya are three steamers in the postal service, namely the “Puntarenas,” “Fernandez” and “Dr. Castro.” The principal post-offices in Costa Rica are these:

Alajuela,
Aserri,
Atenas,
Barba,
Bagres,
Ballena,
Boruca,
Bebedero,
Cartago,
Carrillo,
Curridabat,
Desamparados,
Desmonte,
Escasú,
Esparta,
Guaitil,
Guadalupe,
Grecia,
Heredia,
Humo,
Jimenez,
Juan Viñas,
Limon,
Liberia,
Las Cañas,
La Union,
La Cruz,
Mojon,
Matina,
Naranjo,
Nicoya,
Old Harbor,
Pacaca,
Puriscal,
Puntarenas,
Palmares,
Paraiso,
Quemadas,
Reventazon,
San Isidro,
Santo Domingo,
Santa Barbara,
San Rafael,
San Antonio,
San Pedro,
San Lucas,
San Marcos,
Santa Ana,
San Juan,
San Vicente,
San Ramon,
San Carlos,
Sardinal,
Santa Cruz,
San Bernardo,
Santa Maria Dota,
Siquirres,
San Mateo,
San Joaquin,
Térraba.

In 1896 there were received from

Pieces.

The United States of America 189,966
Great Britain 64,763
Germany 45,900
France 43,276
Salvador 37,425
Spain 29,966
Guatemala 27,000
Colombia 20,063
The Antilles 13,341
Honduras 10,697
Italy 11,970
Nicaragua 8,835

During the same year there were sent out to

Pieces.

The United States of America 45,547
Guatemala 25,020
Spain 23,230
Salvador 20,194
France 22,738
Italy 8,333
Great Britain 20,425
Germany 17,559
Nicaragua 14,577
Colombia 14,577
The Antilles 10,148
Honduras 9,159
Argentina 6,354

The entire postal service comprised the movement of 3,494,515 pieces, 23,843 money orders and 6919 parcels. The receipts of the postal department were 48,318.69 pesos. On postal money orders there were paid 358,280.76 pesos.

There are 1190 kilometers (744 miles) of telegraph lines connecting the following 65 offices:

Limon,
Matina,
Juan Viñas,
Cachi,
Escasú,
Santa Ana,
Pacaca,
Puriscal,
Naranjo,
San Carlos,
Zarcera,
San Ramon,
Nicoya,
Ballena,
Bolsón,
Santa Cruz,
Paraiso,
Cartago,
La Union,
San Isidro,
San Vicente,
Guadalupe,
Curridabat,
Santa Maria,
San Marcos,
Aserri,
Desamparados,
San José,
Central,
Santo Domingo,
Heredia,
San Isidro,
San Rafael,
Barba,
Santa Barbara,
San Joaquin,
San Antonio,
Alajuela,
Sabanilla,
San Pedro,
Grecia,
Sarchi,
Palmares,
Atenas,
Desmonte,
San Mateo,
Esparta,
Puntarenas,
Quemados,
Guacimal,
La Junta,
La Palma,
Cañas,
Bebedero,
Colonia Cubana,
Filadelfia,
Sardinal,
Bagaces,
Liberia,
Santa Rosa,
La Cruz,
Turialba,
San Ignacio,
Buena Vista,
San Jerónimo.

The number of private telegrams dispatched in 1896 to the interior was 270,284; of official messages to the interior was 69,172; official telegrams transmitted to Central America, 1086; private telegrams to Central America, 6554; telegrams received from Central America, 5413; cablegrams received, 26,762; cablegrams transmitted, 2845.

The total receipts from the telegraph service amounted in 1896 to 183,791.75 pesos, and the rates are very cheap. The nearest cable station is San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua.

There are also 203 miles of telephonic wire between San José and other communities and plantations, with about 2500 daily calls.

X.

AGRICULTURE AND LIVE STOCK.

Agricultural enterprise in Costa Rica is chiefly devoted to coffee. The proper coffee zone lies between 800 to 1400 meters of elevation on both ocean slopes. Experiments have proved that the coffee-tree can also be successfully cultivated at a height of 600 meters, and still lower down, by moderating the glare of the sun with adequate shades and by pruning to correct excessive growth and fructification.

“Coffee was introduced into the country from Havana in 1796 by Francisco Javier Navarro, as were also the mango and the cinnamon. The first seeds were sown in Cartago. Much credit for the propagation of coffee culture in Costa Rica is due to Padre Velarde, under the government of Don Tomas de Acosta, who took great interest in agriculture.

“During the administration of Don Juan Rafael Mora (1849-1857) farming received a remarkable development, for it was much promoted by the construction of important roads. The cultivation of coffee and sugar cane then absorbed the attention of the country to such an extent that, in 1861, 100,000 quintals were exported.” (J. B. Calvo’s book on Costa Rica).

The census of 1892 supplies the following figures concerning coffee:

Province of San José.

------------+------------+-----------+----------+-----------+----------
| Number | Number | Crop | Crop | Value
| of | of | in | in | in
|plantations.| trees. | quintals.| kilogr. | pesos.
------------+------------+-----------+----------+-----------+----------
San José | 1,628 | 7,321,708| 95,942 | 4,413,732| 2,648,239
Escasú | 297 | 913,712| 15,328 | 705,088| 450,840
Desamparados| 313 | 2,115,123| 28,645 | 1,317,670| 859,290
Puriscal | 183 | 85,701| 254 | 11,684| 7,620
Aserri | 223 | 272,809| 701 | 32,246| 21,030
Mora | 137 | 42,312| 191 | 8,786| 5,730
Tarrazú | 83 | 28,121| 112 | 5,152| 3,360
Goicoechea | 89 | 302,143| 10,432 | 479,872| 167,955
------------+------------+-----------+----------+-----------+-----------
Total | 2,953 | 11,081,629| 151,605 | 6,974,230| 4,164,064
------------+------------+-----------+----------+-----------+-----------

Province of Alajuela.

-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
| Number | Number | Crop | Crop | Value
| of | of | in | in | in
| plantations.| trees. | quintals.| kilogr. | pesos.
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Alajuela | 547 | 2,247,809| 26,546 | 1,211,116| 796,380
San Ramon | 214 | 715,592| 5,527 | 254,242| 165,810
Grecia | 497 | 917,201| 10,997 | 505,862| 329,910
Atenas | 50 | 110,599| 1,027 | 47,242| 30,810
San Mateo | 20 | 23,883| 189 | 8,694| 5,670
Naranjo | 171 | 299,829| 40,321 | 1,854,766| 1,209,630
Palmares | 402 | 1,368,689| 22,998 | 1,057,908| 689,940
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Total | 1,901 | 5,683,602| 107,605 | 4,939,830| 3,228,150
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------

Province of Cartago.

-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
| Number | Number | Crop | Crop | Value
| of | of | in | in | in
| plantations.| trees. | quintals.| kilogr. | pesos.
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Cartago | 505 | 727,893| 8,529 | 392,334| 249,870
Paraiso | 91 | 633,995| 4,985 | 229,310| 149,550
La Union | 387 | 1,667,809| 16,295 | 749,570| 488,850
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Total | 983 | 3,029,697| 29,809 | 1,371,214| 888,270
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------

Province of Heredia.

-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
| Number | Number | Crop | Crop | Value
| of | of | in | in | in
| plantations.| trees. | quintals.| kilogr. | pesos.
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Heredia | 1,371 | 3,249,901| 36,893 | 1,697,078| 1,106,790
Barba | 247 | 885,891| 11,792 | 542,432| 351,870
Santo Domingo| 391 | 2,147,824| 32,810 | 1,509,260| 984,300
Santa Barbara| 399 | 496,809| 3,201 | 147,246| 96,030
San Rafael | 121 | 335,725| 4,509 | 207,414| 135,270
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------
Total | 2,529 | 7,116,150| 89,205 | 4,103,430| 2,674,260
-------------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+-----------

Altogether Costa Rica, in 1892, had 8366 coffee-fincas with 26,911,078 coffee-trees, and a crop of 378,224 quintals or 17,388,704 kilograms, valued at 10,954,744 pesos.

It may be interesting to learn the amount of the coffee crops since 1883, given in sacks of fifty-nine or sixty kilograms each.

Sacks.

1883 153,379
1884 277,158
1885 157,515
1886 150,618
1887 218,032
1888 171,898
1889 215,793
1890 256,576
1891 235,703
1892 179,970
1893 190,700
1894 179,613
1895 184,825
1896 195,263
1897 227,582

Another important agricultural product of Costa Rica is the banana. Its cultivation was begun on the Atlantic coast in 1879, and the first 360 bunches were shipped, February 7. 1880, by steamer “Earnholm” from Port Limon to New York.

In 1884 there were 350 farms, comprising over four thousand acres of land, containing 570,000 banana plants, from which, in that year, 420,000 bunches were obtained. Before 1879 banana plants were set out in coffee plantations to shade the young trees and shelter their berries. The bananas were used to feed pigs. The laboring classes kept a few plants, using the fruit boiled with salt, or roasted on hot coals instead of bread.

The following table shows the banana export figures since 1883:

Bundles. Tons.

1883 110,801 3,693
1884 420,000 14,000
1885 401,183 13,373
1886 595,970 19,866
1887 889,517 29,651
1888 854,588 28,486
1889 990,898 33,030
1890 1,034,765 34,492
1891 1,133,717 37,791
1892 1,178,812 39,294
1893 1,278,647 42,621
1894 1,374,986 45,833
1895 1,585,817 52,861
1896 1,692,102 56,400

Sugar cane is used largely in Costa Rica as fodder and in the manufacture of aguardiente; also to produce the raw sugar or dulce, which is consumed entirely by country people.

In 1889 sugar cane by provinces was raised on the following number of acres:

In San José on 4819 acres; in Alajuela on 5076 acres; in Cartago on 1466 acres; in Heredia on 1114 acres; in Guanacaste on 719 acres; in Puntarenas on 1471, and in Limon on 122 acres. The aggregates were 14,787 acres, and a production of 1,368,000 pounds of sugar and 18,454,000 pounds of dulce.

Cacao culture has received but little attention in Costa Rica, because the more profitable coffee plantations absorb all the time and capital. The number of plantations regularly established up to 1888 was 198, having in all 56,426 trees that yielded in the same year 331,900 pounds valued at 165,770 pesos. Most of the cacao was cultivated in Aserri, Atenas, Naranjo, Heredia, Paraiso, Guanacaste and Limon.

Cacao was exported from 1884 to 1889 as follows:

Years. Pounds. Value in Dollars.

1884 9,927 3,227
1885 16,271 4,084
1886 5,776 2,223
1887 10,906 4,708
1888 18,410 3,576
1889 28,830 12,386
------ -------
Total 90,120 30,204

Excellent cacao was grown during Spanish colonial days around Matina, but none is exported now.

With respect to wheat, up to 1860 there was sufficient for the consumption of the country. It was so intelligently cultivated that the finer grades were produced. The rise in the price of coffee and the competition with the flour of the United States and Chile drove out the native wheat almost entirely, and to-day the cultivation of this grain is badly neglected. To-day the only flour-mill in this country grinds imported wheat.

Tobacco was a monopoly for many years, and only recently has the culture been taken up by the people.

Other important agricultural products are rice, beans, corn and potatoes.

The cultivation of rice in Costa Rica demands very little care and no irrigation to produce two crops a year of a very superior quality. Beans and corn are successfully grown everywhere in the country, while the raising of potatoes is almost wholly confined to the hillsides of Cartago and Alajuela, where they acquire an extremely fine quality.

According to the census of 1892, the average annual production of these crops for that and the two preceding years was in liters as follows:

----------+-----------+----------+----------+-----------
| Corn. | Beans. | Rice. | Potatoes.
----------+-----------+----------+----------+-----------
San José | 8,394,527| 1,842,527| 236,543| 7,915
Alajuela | 6,898,549| 999,652| 867,528| ..
Cartago | 7,874,642| 1,724,628| .. | 1,745,725
Heredia | 2,949,692| 132,842| .. | ..
Guanacaste| 1,862,598| 92,321| 121,342| ..
Puntarenas| 392,721| 21,325| 132,845| ..
Limon | 18,525| 2,822| .. | ..
----------+-----------+----------+----------+-----------
Total | 28,391,254| 4,816,117| 1,358,258| 1,753,640
----------+-----------+----------+----------+-----------

Important agricultural districts are, besides the Central Highlands about one hundred and fifty kilometers in length by sixty kilometers in width, the great valleys of Talamanca, Santa Clara, Tortuguero, San Carlos and Rio Frio. Along the Pacific the great valley of Térraba and the plains of Golfo Dulce and Guanacaste are fertile regions, which, if properly tilled, would offer advantages equal to the Central Highlands, where nearly the entire population of Costa Rica is concentrated.

Plants characterizing fertile lands, rich in humus, on the Atlantic slope, are _Piper_, especially that with large leaves, _Loaseæ_, and certain _Acanthaceæ_. On the Pacific side such characteristic plants are _Piper_, with smaller leaves, the Pacaya Palm, and some ferns. Especially are the _Aspidium_ and _Polypodium_ found in large quantities.

Considering the future of Costa Rica, the question of farm labor is of vital importance. There are only a few Indians, and they are rapidly decreasing. It looks as though the fertile lowlands on the Atlantic and Pacific sides, as well as those in the extensive and fruitful San Juan valley, must be turned over to the Negro race as the only one capable of enduring so inhospitable a climate. These regions are the richest of all and could sustain a large population.

The _live stock_ of Costa Rica, though in general superior to that of the rest of Central America, is not yet sufficiently large to supply the local demand. Although there has been recent improvement in breeding cattle and horses, yet the high grade animals, which could be easily introduced into a country of so many natural advantages, are still lacking. At different times the development of this industry has been attempted. Costa Rica has vast pasture lands splendidly adapted to cattle. It has very nutritious forage plants, like arrocillo, cola de venado, zacate de guinea, zacate de castilla, zacate pará, zacate ancho, grama, guate, caña de azucar, gamalote, sabanilla, teosinte, lengua de vaca, guácimo, jengibrillo, platanillo, etc.

The _live stock_ of Costa Rica in 1892 was distributed as follows:

Cattle. Horses. Sheep. Swine.

San José 51,884 17,542 1,538 23,628
Alajuela 62,410 16,774 159 16,185
Cartago 48,555 9,900 715 5,109
Heredia 35,391 6,380 57 13,241
Guanacaste 134,567 24,458 296 2,180
Puntarenas 9,667 1,721 -- 1,128
Limon 3,191 268 -- 857
------- ------ ----- ------
Total 345,665 77,043 2,765 62,328

The consumption of cattle in Costa Rica is exhibited by the following data:

First half of
1894. 1895. 1896. 1897.

San José 12,851 12,824 13,467 6,942
Alajuela 7,402 7,184 7,180 3,493
Cartago 5,207 4,881 5,297 2,506
Heredia 4,864 4,942 4,249 2,438
Guanacaste 2,701 1,990 1,928 882
Puntarenas 1,472 1,471 1,302 770
Limon 804 789 798 488
------ ------ ------ ------
Total 35,301 34,081 34,221 17,519

Further official reports disclose that in the capital the consumption of meat is quite uniform during the entire year, while in the country it is greater from August to January than from February to July.

The total value of the natural, agricultural and live stock products of the country has been calculated at 19,000,000 pesos.

XI.

COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.

Joaquin Bernardo Calvo, in his work on Costa Rica published in 1890, observes that “at the beginning of the Colonial Government the Port of Suerre, on the Atlantic coast, had some commercial importance, but that the Port of Rivera on the west coast of the Gulf of Nicoya was greater, as were also Coronado del Norte on the Island of Caño and the Golfo de Ossa, now Golfo Dulce.

“All the ships then plying on the Pacific between Mexico, Panama, Perú and intermediate ports were wont to ride at anchor at the Island of Caño. The most important centre of commerce in those times was the City of Santiago de Talamanca, now extinct, whence cargoes were sent in three days’ time to Porto Bello. The exports of that age were cacao, potatoes, honey, wax, sarsaparilla and hemp. When the city was destroyed its traffic was dispersed.

“In 1638 the opening of the Matina road was the beginning of a new era. The cacao haciendas in the valley of that name acquired a new importance. At the same time the Gulf of Nicoya became a centre of traffic. Costa Rica was then in a flourishing condition and would have prospered finely but for the pirates and Mosquito Indians, who constantly menaced its welfare and whose vandalism ravaged the coast settlements.

“After that period Costa Rica was reduced to woeful misery, carrying on an insignificant commerce overland with Panama by mules and sending a few unimportant articles to Nicaragua. Thus more than a century passed.

“In the present century (1813) the Captaincy General imposed severe restrictions on the commerce of the Province. At the time of declaring independence the situation of Costa Rica was wretched.

“Just beginning an independent career, struggling to inaugurate a system of government wholly new and opposed to the preceding one, contending with poverty, in a state of complete upheaval, the work undertaken by the forefathers of the present Costa Ricans was full of difficulties.

“Coffee culture gave a new impulse and importance to Costa Rica. At the close of the first half of the Nineteenth Century commerce was carried on with the north through Matina and Sarapiqui, and through Caldera on the Pacific.

“The greater facilities available on the Pacific coast, however, especially when a line of steamers connecting with the Panama Railroad opened a new way to the Atlantic, turned the course of business to Puntarenas, a new port which soon became the sole commercial route.

“This state of things, unnecessarily adding to the expense of importations, continued for years. When the Port of Limon was opened to commerce the competition of two routes and the new facilities of a railroad and a wagon road to the Atlantic greatly promoted traffic and contributed to the general wealth.”

In 1848 seventy vessels entered Puntarenas, having a registration of 7180 tons. In 1884 this number had increased to 113, having 137,368 tons registration, and in the same year there entered Port Limon 121 vessels of 126,875 aggregate tonnage. In 1894 there entered 158 vessels with 155,869 tons at Puntarenas, and 294 vessels with 348,355 tons at Port Limon. The freight in 1858 on coffee to Panama by steamer alone was five-eighths of a cent per pound. In 1870 the West India and Pacific Company’s steamers received as freights from Puntarenas to Liverpool, £5 10s. 0d. per ton; from Puntarenas to London, £6 2s. 6d. per ton.

In 1888 freights from Puntarenas to European ports were £4 per ton, and from Port Limon £2. To-day the freight rates are cheaper still.

The present tariff is in many ways inequitable. It is based on no principle, and, with the exception of some later laws especially enacted, it does not correspond with the economic condition and commerce of the country. Yet on a great number of articles the tariff is less than in Mexico, Guatemala, Salvador, Peru, Bolivia and Uruguay.

The custom-duties are collected on gross weight, and generally amount to from twenty to twenty-five per cent. on the valuation of imports. They are paid one-half down and one-half within three months’ time. All goods for Costa Rica have to come accompanied by corresponding consular invoices. The principal importations are silk, wool, linen, cotton, machinery, implements and tools for agriculture and other industries, furniture, glassware, tinware, hardware and haberdashery, ornaments, articles of luxury, mercury and perfumery, beer, wines, liquors, soap, coffee-sacks, flour, sugar, shoes, saddles, harnesses, butter, etc.

Table of Exports and Imports of Costa Rica Since 1884.

Exportations. Importations.

1884 $3,745,400 gold. $3,521,900 gold.
1885 2,535,500 ” 3,660,900 ”
1886 2,257,600 ” 3,537,600 ”
1887 4,689,100 ” 5,601,200 ”
1888 4,052,300 ” 5,201,900 ”
1889 4,612,800 ” 6,306,400 ”
1890 6,664,700 ” 6,615,400 ”
1891 6,116,800 ” 8,351,000 ”
1892 4,725,900 ” 5,389,700 ”
1893 4,294,200 ” 5,849,500 ”

1894 { 5,053,113 ” 4,094,853 ”
{12,488,263 silver.

1895 { 5,922,204 gold. 3,851,460 ”
{14,509,440 silver.

1896 5,597,727 gold. 4,748,818 ”

Imports and Exports by Countries.

1892.

Imports in gold. Exports in silver.

Great Britain $1,702,145 $4,916,287
Germany 947,647 386,737
France 526,382 70,004
Spain 189,623 --
Italy 32,412 --
Belgium 7,280 --
United States 1,295,682 3,642,896
Mexico 18,725 --
Colombia 82,326 20,912
Ecuador 125,416 800
Peru 3,890 502
Cuba 123,921 --
Jamaica 81,609 --
Central America 252,691 75,810

1893.

Imports in gold.

Great Britain $1,697,944
Germany 1,123,836
France 807,761
Spain 192,026
Italy 39,829
United States 1,399,615
Mexico 11,993
Colombia 228,036
Ecuador 94,387
Cuba 40,023
Jamaica 25,939
Central America 143,437
----------
Total $5,804,926

1894.

Imports in gold.

Great Britain $907,462
Germany 566,367
France 223,479
Spain (Cuba) 103,276
Italy 40,215
United States 940,640
Colombia 32,138
Ecuador 36,917
Belgium 7,082

_Commodities Imported in 1894._

Gold. Pesos.

General merchandise $2,857,580 56 7,062,224 60
Merchandise not dutiable 944,835 09 2,335,065 44
Coined money 4,183 46 10,339 00
Silver bars 89,018 37 220,000 00
Animals 30,929 84 76,440 00
Animals coming overland 91,041 52 225,000 00
Lumber 15,911 27 39,323 12
Passengers’ baggage 6,352 45 15,699 45
Merchandise from custom houses 5,000 00 12,357 00
Merchandise by post 50,000 00 123,570 00
------------- -------------
Total $4,094,852 56 10,120,018 61

_Total Exports for 1894._

Gold. Pesos.

Coffee $4,198,252 08 10,375,560 19
Bananas 443,315 37 1,095,609 60
Coined money 58,611 78 144,852 95
Gold, not coined 23,500 00 58,078 10
Woods 144,584 66 357,326 53
Various products 115,231 68 284,783 58
Unspecified products 69,617 57 172,052 86
------------- -------------
Total $5,053,113 14 12,488,263 81

_1895._

_Imports by Countries._

Gold.

Great Britain $851,849
Germany 684,118
France 261,534
Spain (Cuba) 223,441
Italy 33,088
Belgium 5,978
United States 1,179,546
Central America 263
South America 65,633

_1896._

Gold.

Great Britain $1,264,856 33
Germany 893,816 66
France 378,906 35
Spain (Cuba) 162,825 54
Italy 71,769 52
Belgium 3,089 48
Denmark 103 05
Portugal 24 00
United States 1,401,074 25
Central America 813 75
Colombia 16,951 48
Ecuador 38,385 27
Peru 15,791 35

_Commodities Imported in 1896._

Gold.

Merchandise entered at custom houses $4,226,925 05
Merchandise sent by post 61,622 93
Baggage of marine passengers 6,095 84
Baggage of overland passengers 5,000 00
Woods 21,481 98
Animals 423,069 23
Coined money 4,623 59
-------------
Total $4,748,818 62

_Total Exports for 1896._

Gold.

Coffee, 11,089,523 kgs., valued at $4,318,285 90
Bananas, 1,692,102 bunches, valued at 670,072 40
Woods, valued at 485,695 35
Coined and other metal, valued at 29,459 50
Re-exports and provisions, valued at 11,328 59
Various commodities 82,885 27
------------
Total $5,597,727 01

_Imports by Countries for First Half of 1897._

Gold.

Great Britain $518,833 37
Germany 357,652 02
France 167,303 77
Spain 55,154 48
Cuba 20,543 78
Italy 83,070 50
Belgium 4,893 50
United States 871,646 91
South America 94,571 90
Santo Tomas 445 00
Nicaragua 10,739 90
Guatemala 288 06
Salvador 21,334 50
Postal packages 44,999 30
Merchandise in passengers goods 1,493 40
-------------
$2,252,970 39
Additional for 3816 animals, valued at 74,743 60
--------------
Total $2,327,713 99

The following list, which I owe to the amiability of the highly competent Director General of the National Department of Statistics, Hon. Manuel Aragon, shows the principal articles of import and their value in gold pesos by countries since 1893:

(Part 1 of 4)
----------------+-------------------------------+
| United States. |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 1893. | 1894. | 1895. | 1896. |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
Wheat flour |289,418|139,421|191,478|234,528|
Wheat | 21,418| 27,768| 31,354| 35,925|
Corn | 42,818| 50,486| 2,001| 2,039|
Beans | 29,416| 9,056| 3,818| 8,777|
Rice | 57,429| 4,561| 34,182| 42,233|
Tobacco | 6,437| .. | .. | 1,472|
Butter, lard | 78,416|114,866|120,283| 65,530|
Beer | 20,436| 13,353| 21,520| 20,015|
Wine | 14,318| 541| 6,915| 18,584|
Drugs and | | | | |
medicines | 37,469| 26,187| 8,107| 12,718|
Perfumes | 5,693| 1,196| 862| 1,064|
Oil paints | .. | 1,326| 2,898| 2,886|
Fence wire | 28,416| 13,264| 18,378| 33,065|
Sacks for coffee| .. | 1,005| 1,459| 2,063|
Furniture | 6,409| 11,359| 21,328| 15,310|
Shoes | 9,416| 14,084| 6,918| 7,460|
Hardware | 30,268| 27,116| 931| 159|
Cashmeres | .. | .. | 2,263| 1,803|
Implements | 6,326| 1,779| .. | 12,720|
Machinery | 19,816| 19,086| 45,237| 52,352|
Mercury | 32,416| .. | .. | 1,720|
Cloth | .. | .. | .. | 202|
Cotton goods | 29,491| 461| 3,314| 27,582|
Mixed cotton | | | | |
and woolen | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Prints | 31,896| 20,821| 18,556| 31,097|
Fancy articles | 23,418| .. | .. | .. |
Sugar | 29,437| 4,561| .. | .. |
Cotton shirts | .. | 1,859| 3,007| .. |
Preserv. meats | 8,211| .. | 8,062| .. |
Coal | 23,416| 7,065| 2,818| .. |
Ready-made | | | | |
Clothing | .. | 1,434| .. | .. |
Cognac | 2,896| 137| 246| .. |
Cotton drills | .. | 1,516| 2,585| .. |
Preserv. Fruits | 13,228| .. | .. | .. |
Railroad | | | | |
material | 77,262| .. | 4,023| .. |
Galvan. iron | .. | 263| 3,498| .. |
Ordinary soap | .. | 1,064| 2,627| .. |
Fine jewelry | 1,028| 321| 115| .. |
Cotton shirting | .. | 380| 1,061| .. |
Chinaware | .. | 521| 256| .. |
Machetes | .. | 4,472| 6,525| .. |
Manta-cruda | 19,416| 16,932| 41,437| .. |
Sewing machines | 21,640| 6,379| 9,156| .. |
Cotton | | | | |
handkerchiefs | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Sardines | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Candles | .. | 1,965| 923| .. |
Matches | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Cigars | .. | 206| .. | .. |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

(Part 2 of 4)
----------------+-------------------------------|
| Great Britain. |
+-------+-------+-------+-------|
| 1893. | 1894. | 1895. | 1896. |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
Wheat flour | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Wheat | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Corn | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Beans | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Rice | .. | 3,109| 1,785| .. |
Tobacco | .. | .. | 50| .. |
Butter, lard | .. | .. | 66| .. |
Beer | 6,593| 5,309| 770| .. |
Wine | 46,431| 1,657| 4,665| .. |
Drugs and | | | | |
medicines | 52,395| 18,916| 7,910| .. |
Perfumes | 5,385| 462| 332| .. |
Oil paints | 9,353| 1,838| 2,760| .. |
Fence wire | 47,769| 245| 948| .. |
Sacks for coffee| 43,628| 27,476| 37,141| .. |
Furniture | 6,823| 1,601| 2,977| .. |
Shoes | 14,421| 6,836| 2,758| 2,250|
Hardware | 23,462| .. | 7,461| 967|
Cashmeres | 28,791| 18,760| 36,242| 58,417|
Implements | 3,246| 193| .. | 1,176|
Machinery | 49,762| 6,226| 961| 13,952|
Mercury | 31,945| .. | .. | 968|
Cloth | 37,626| 9,161| 6,606| 7,409|
Cotton goods | 72,416| .. | 5,823| 60,369|
Mixed cotton | | | | |
and woolen | 12,119| .. | 13,009| 72,335|
Prints |182,129| 92,498|110,224|141,659|
Fancy articles | 4,236| .. | .. | .. |
Sugar | 6,128| 103| .. | .. |
Cotton shirts | 1,094| 17,563| 18,143| .. |
Preserv. meats | 3,497| 1,673| 6,147| .. |
Coal | 78,543| 23,828| 13,136| .. |
Ready-made | | | | |
Clothing | .. | 1,656| .. | .. |
Cognac | 9,461| 219| .. | .. |
Cotton drills | 43,897| 15,803| 14,178| .. |
Preserv. Fruits | 8,976| .. | .. | .. |
Railroad | | | | |
material |155,346| .. | 8,502| .. |
Galvan. iron | 9,896| 33,740| 42,701| .. |
Ordinary soap | 13,418| 3,058| 3,192| .. |
Fine jewelry | 32,466| .. | .. | .. |
Cotton shirting | 75,417| 15,844| 37,158| .. |
Chinaware | 8,423| 2,436| 1,657| .. |
Machetes | 5,202| 6,069| 6,029| .. |
Manta-cruda | 14,617| 20,508| 15,098| .. |
Sewing machines | 3,201| 102| 851| .. |
Cotton | | | | |
handkerchiefs | 12,819| 24,721| 20,778| .. |
Sardines | 8,619| 1,263| .. | .. |
Candles | 35,709| 29,963| 23,891| .. |
Matches | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Cigars | .. | .. | .. | .. |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------|

(Part 3 of 4)
----------------+-------------------------------+
| Germany. |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 1893. | 1894. | 1895. | 1896. |
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
Wheat Flour | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Wheat | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Corn | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Beans | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Rice | 7,128| 29,998| 14,622| .. |
Tobacco | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Butter, Lard | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Beer | 58,934| 46,189| 63,034| .. |
Wine | 25,418| 3,527| 7,730| .. |
Drugs and | | | | |
medicines | 45,631| 4,993| 16,421| .. |
Perfumes | 7,826| 143| 1,840| .. |
Oil paints | 15,821| 3,904| 4,188| .. |
Fence wire | 30,418| 16,494| 9,512| .. |
Sacks for coffee| 17,620| 9,414| 10,049| .. |
Furniture | 12,345| 4,792| 17,752| .. |
Shoes | 12,427| 11,793| 5,598| 5,106|
Hardware | 14,416| 2,764| 5,051| .. |
Cashmeres | 92,416| 28,027| 58,902| 49,632|
Implements | 17,721| 363| .. | 1,478|
Machinery | 2,389| 1,835| 1,252| 497|
Mercury | 38,893| 3,103| .. | 3,777|
Cloth | 9,681| 2,075| 2,236| 418|
Cotton goods | 12,401| 10,230| 5,374| 47,070|
Mixed cotton | | | | |
and woolen | 8,419| 4,368| .. | .. |
Prints |131,416| 1,983| 8,035| 9,912|
Fancy articles |108,412| .. | .. | .. |
Sugar | 7,128| .. | .. | .. |
Cotton shirts | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Preserv. meats | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Coal | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Ready-made | | | | |
Clothing | 20,457| 1,223| .. | .. |
Cognac | 13,419| 2,137| 2,676| .. |
Cotton drills | 29,617| 37,266| 46,322| .. |
Preserv. Fruits | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Railroad | | | | |
material | .. | .. | 4,185| .. |
Galvan. iron | .. | 4,837| 9,795| .. |
Ordinary soap | 7,382| 4,080| 4,896| .. |
Fine jewelry | 3,726| .. | .. | .. |
Cotton shirting | 16,893| 87| .. | .. |
Chinaware | 7,521| 10,677| 12,130| .. |
Machetes | 4,289| 5,620| 6,539| .. |
Manta-cruda | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Sewing machines | 5,028| .. | .. | .. |
Cotton | | | | |
handkerchiefs | .. | 6,313| 8,780| .. |
Sardines | 5,262| 5,675| 7,241| .. |
Candles | 8,645| 13,719| 7,348| .. |
Matches | 14,527| 12,335| 17,970| .. |
Cigars | 14,427| 4,965| 8,248| .. |
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